JVP M.P. Anura Kumara Dissanayake told media that from the high places of the Govt. arrangements are being made to prepare a bogus voice recording to match the voice of Gen. Sarath fonseka purporting to be statements of Gen. Fonseka made to Sunday Leader Editor on the 13th.

Despite the General making it abundantly clear on the following day itself that the statements attributed to him were not made by him and were misleading, the Govt. had been blowing this episode out of proportion to cash in on it.

The Sunday Leader Editor had been challenged two weeks ago to reveal the recording to corroborate her report, but so far there has been no response. As the opposition is intensifying the pressure for the recording, the Govt. is seeking to prepare a bogus recording. As the govt. can mislead with a portion of the recording by bogus voicing, the Opposition has demanded that the whole recording be forwarded, Dissanayake noted.

Registration rules for expatriate and local Tamils traveling to Colombo have been temporarily relaxed according to a statement released by the police today.

Senior DIG Nimal Madiweka told Media a short while ago that the rule has been relaxed with immediate effect but gave no time frame for it. DIG Madiweka explained that all Tamils, whether they are from abroad or from the North and East, will not have to register themselves with the police as per earlier regulations if they are staying for a short periods. However according to Mr. Madiweka, Tamils planning long haul stays will have to register.

Mr. Madiweka said, “Tamils can stay in Colombo for up to one month without registering themselves but if they exceed that period then they will have to register.”

It was Palitha Kohona, when he was the Foreign Ministry secretary who instructed the LTTTE Police chief B. Nadesan and chief of the Peace secretariat of the LTTE, S. Pullidevan to surrender to the Army carrying white flags with them.

Although the Govt. made a big din about a statement allegedly made by the Opposition common Presidential candidate Gen, Fonseka as reported by the Sunday leader newspaper on the 13th as a betrayal by the General, the Govt. has not given any publicity to the enunciations of Kohone in that connection.

Palitha Kohone had told a France news service, AFP on 21 May 2009 that when they tried to surrender coming forward, they were shot at from behind.

The IRC spoke to me and told the Two LTTE cadres wanted to surrender. II asked them to go forward slowly with white flags towards the army without any show of aggression or threat. However when they tried to advance forward they were shot by the LTTE from behind.

Opposition common Presidential candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka’s official photographer who was at the Gen. Fonseka’s public rally today (22), at Mayurapadhi playground, Mawanella covering the event was attacked by a group of UPFA supporters.

The victims of this assault are Vishwanath Thenuwara, the official photographer of Gen. Fonseka and official videographer Sandun Jeewaka, a media personnel.

Eye witnesses to this incident said, a group who came in a vehicle bearing NO. JB 2616 launched this assault. There had been a large number of posters of President Rajapakse inside this vehicle.

The ‘Media Meeting’ organized by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party- Mahajana Wing headed by Mr. Mangala Samaraweera was held on Today (22). This is a short summary of some of the key points that were discussed during the meeting.

In the face of certain electoral defeat the government is stepping up Mugabe-style tactics to disrupt the common candidate’s campaign. The tactics that have been used have been deplorable and sad, while the police have done nothing to curb such actions. The government and its followers have used methods such as intimidation, death threats and assaults to discourage the UNF from carrying out its successful convention in Matara. All these attempts have failed in the face of our resoluteness. We in fact carried out one of the most successful conventions of all time. President Mahinda Rajapakse is now loosing ground in the whole Southern province.

On 19th December some young activists who were engaged in putting up street signs in Matara town for the Matara District convention were attacked by a group of armed thugs who traveled in a white Toyota Prado and who also shot rounds in to the air. Last night (21st of December) the UNF office that is situated at the ancestral home of Mr. Mangala Samaraweera was attacked by a group of thugs. They shot at a large banner of the UNF leaders and removed all the decorations in the area. Other cutouts throughout the Matara town were taken out and then left in front of the home of the Opposition Leader of the Southern Province. This was all happening under the eyes of the police officers who were there to ‘protect’ the cutouts of President. Even though we have lodged complaints against the parties who have committed these crimes, no action has yet been taken. In due time we will take all the necessary actions against both the perpetrators of these crimes and the police officials who have turned a blind-eye to them. We have reason to believe that the vehicles of Mr. Anura Gunarathne, who is a PC Minister, and Mr. Dilshan Gunesekara were used during these attacks. Furthermore, we believe that the Commanding Officer of Matara army camp, Captain Baratha Kodithuwakku, was responsible for planning some of these attacks.

We have to acknowledge the clear statement made by the Election Commissioner against the President’s habit of feedings thousands of individuals just before an election, and we want to thank him for such a statement. According to the receipts sent by Fingara Town and Country Club (caterers for the President) to Temple Trees, the total bill for feeding thousands of guests has been Rs. 13 million just in the last four months. Furthermore, we would like to ask the President how he has acquired these funds to feed so many people, especially on a public servants salary. We also request the President to divulge his personal assets as Sarath Fonseka has done.

The owner of a house where presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka stayed over for several hours over the weekend while on his way to a rally in Ambalangoda has lodged a police complaint saying his house was searched by a special police team this morning.

According to the police complaint the police team searched the house for at least one hour and the search was conducted without a court order. Police media spokesman SSP I.M Karunaratne confirmed that there was a police complaint to that effect.